Author
Topic: 1987 Mazda B2600 4x4 pickup (Read 10516 times)

OK folks, before you laugh yourself off your chairs, help me out a little. I was given a 1987 Mazda B2600 4x4 pickup with a frozen engine. I would normally part this out, but it is in unusually good condition. My research so far shows that this has a Mitsubishi 2.6 liter 4 cylinder engine. Mazda used these in 1987 and 1988 trucks. It has a 5 spd transmission and I am not sure if the bellhousing unbolts or not (have not looked yet). I know Ford and Mazda shared transmissions in the Ranger and I may be able to use a small Ford V6 in this truck. I know that the Mitsubishi head from the Dohc turbo engine will bolt onto this G54B engine block. Also Chrysler Corp used this engine and Mitsubishi V6's in the minivans.I might even consider some type of small diesel if it bolts in. Does anyone out there have any information on where I can find Japanese bellhousing bolt patterns? A couple of days of internet research has netted me little in the way of an answer to this question. Since you are familiar with Toyota parts and interchangeability, maybe some of you have an exposure to other types of Japanese engines,transmissions and bellhousings and could help me out. My plans for this truck are to commute and do forest and desert stuff with it. Nothing too serious, I will keep the 10x31's on it and remove the front sway bar and rear overload leafs for more flexability. Some type or rear locker or limited slip and whatever I can find for the front.

i would say find a Cologne 2.9 V6 from a 87-88 ranger, my sis had one and the little bastid was awesome also had a ford 3.0 at the same time and the little german 2.9 made the 3.0 look like 3 of the plugs were bad,

from my experience(friends owning rigs with the 2.6), it's a god awful engine. likes to blow head gaskets, and has an oil pump run off a chain driven by a balance shaft

i'd drop a small block in there, or even a ford v6 if you have one handy. the 2.9 is EFI and a pretty decent engine, as long as you dump the stock cylinder heads that like to crack and buy a set of world iron replacement castings.

Hey gang, just a little update. This truck has a Toyo Kogo (Mazda) 5 spd transmission in it with a removeable bell housing. This trans was used in a lot of Ford Rangers, so I can use a 2.8, 2.9 or 4.0 Ford V6 in it with a Cologne bellhousing. I may have the option to use the 3.0 or 3.8 with the Vulcan bellhousing also. However I think I will stick with the Ranger, Explorer 4.0 OHV engine. Now all I have to do is come up with a fuel pump that will feed the injection system from the stock fuel tank and get the complete harness/ECM with my donor engine. I obviously can bolt this to a Mazda engine also with the proper bell housing. Anyone feel a V6 Mazda engine would be a better match up? The driveshaft for the front axle runs down the right side of the vehicle, so the starter has to mount on the left side of the engine or high on the right (above the bottom of the block/pan rail). I will be able to retain all the stock drivetrain with the above mentioned setup. Do Mazda rear axles with limited slips have paper tags on the rear of the housing? This one is so old I can't read anything, it is just old white sticker looking thing. Many thanks to all who have replied, your assistance is encouraging! You all have made some real good points and suggestions. Special thanks to 79Coyotefrg for turning me toward the Cologne engine! I noticed in some posts that Mazda rear springs are used for swapping into Toyota pickups. Mazda tries to control spring wrap up by staggering the rear shocks like the early Chevy's. Doesn't Toyota stagger their rear shocks? Or are you adding so much gear reduction and rolling resistance through the doublers and large tires that it wraps the rear springs anyhow?

most use a single link tracktion bar from the top of the rear diff housing to the crossmember just behind the cab, or use kickershocks, the toyota trucks lower springs are very thick and this helps, but sometimes, like lilbuddy found out, when the axle does wrap it often punctures the housing tube, i like the upper link setup myself but i am going to fab a link that uses a shock insert so that it will give for flexing

my sisters ranger with the cologne 2.9 had 190,000 on the odometer and was still running strong when the deer tried to mate with it at 65 mph i should have pulled that little motor cause the 3.0 we had blew up shortly after

Yep, the 4.0 is just a bored and stroked 2.9. I understand that the exterior engine dimensions are the same. I think going with the Ford engine is going to be my best bet. That engine was used in Explorers, Rangers and Aerostars, so they are plentiful. Also found I can use a Mitsubishi Starion external fuel pump that will pump up to 55 lbs for the injection. This way all I have to do is build fuel lines from the stock tank to the engine and back. I should be able to use all stock running gear in this truck to keep it cheap!That thick leaf on the bottom of the spring pack is the one I take out of my stuff. Only thing I have overloads on is my 3/4 ton truck. I replace it with 2 regular leaves, one about the actual length of the overload and the other about 18" long. Do not use any spring leaf less than 18" long unless they are custom built with thinner material (like Nationals or Deavers) otherwise you create stiffness and no flex. I took the overloads out of my sons 1991 S-10 extracab 4x4 added the 2 leaves and took the front sway bar off. Raised the front a little by tightening the torsin bars and man what a difference! No more rear pogo sticking going down dirt roads! Those back springs flexed baby! And during 4 wheeling the suspension travel was increased greatly. Thanks again for turning me on to the Cologne engine! I snagged this Mazda because it fits me with the standard cab. The Toyota standard cab is not comfy for me to drive very far. I am 6'1" 225lbs. Otherwise I would be doing a Toyota, however nobody has ever offered me a free Toyota!

Been a while since I posted so I will bring you up to date. I scored a free 3.0 Ford Vulcan V6 and am picking up the proper bell housing(hopefully) to bolt the Vulcan to the Toyo Koygo 5 spd. During all this research I found one of my co-workers has another Mazda B2600 longbed 4x4 that has a dead engine. I already have a bellhousing for a Cologne V6 so I am going to pick up a 4.0 that is getting swapped out of an Explorer for a V8. I got a line on a 1989 4Runner for 400 bucks that has a bad transmission. All I know about this is it has a 4 cylinder with EFI and IFS and it is black. Thats all I know so far. Do 89's have EFI and IFS? Have not really looked into it just yet as I have these other two projects on line. Wouldn't mind having a 4Runner though, it could be a baby brother to my Suburbans! Other than the 4.3 and a bigger Toyota 4 cylinder, has anyone put a 3.8 GM or earlier Buick V6 in a Toyota truck or 4Runner. I heard Toyota used a transmission that was also used by Jeep in the Cherokee (Aisin Warner). If that is true a 3.8 liter GM V6 has the BOP bolt pattern same as the 2.8 V6 and possibly the 4.0 inline Jeep 6.

I actually found bellhousings for a Cologne (2.8,2.9,4.0) and a Vulcan (3.0) that would bolt to the Toyo Kogo tansmission. The project stalled for a while, I got engine mounts done and the oil pan measured to trim up. I retired last year and had a big party. Had a Taco man come and feed a crowd of 150 folks. He stayed until the food ran out and loaded his stuff to go. He had to borrow a truck to come out to my place. He saw the Mazda and wanted to buy it. I explained to him that it was not running and what needed to be completed. He said no problemo, so I traded the free Mazda and engine for the taco fest for 150. I only had about 35 bucks invested in the bellhousing and my time and scrap metal for engine mounts. Kind of sorry to see it go but Mazdas are not very common any more and I figured he needed the truck more than me. I have 3 others all Ch@*ys.